Tuesday, September 29, 2015

This roasted butternut squash soup is probably my favorite
fall soup of all time, which is why I’m so shocked we haven’t posted a video
for it before. It’s cheap, easy, nutritious, and absolutely delicious; and should
probably go into the once-a-week rotation for a few months at least.

As I mention in the video, there’s really no great reason to
simmer this for an hour like I did, but I think it does help harmonize the
flavors, not to mention humidify your home. A cold, rainy day just looks better
through steamed-up windows.

If you’re feeling like something a bit more substantial, try
this topped with a handful of crispy bacon. Of course, I wouldn’t say no to
some diced ham either. Add a hard roll, and you can’t get a better autumn meal.
I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:

For the sage brown butter:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

6-8 large sage leaves (or a lot of tiny leaves like I used
in the video)

Friday, September 25, 2015

Even though I often joke about naming dishes a certain way
to help with the search engines, I rarely actually do. Mostly because I
don’t get a bonus for extra traffic, but with this borscht-braised beef short
ribs, I fully admit to intentionally not using the “B” word.

I would hate for someone who thinks they hate beets to not
even watch the video. I figured if we could trick them into at least seeing the
dish in all its colorful glory, they’d simply have to give it a try. Unless they don't like beets, and gorgeous things.

By the way, I can totally relate to the “I don’t eat beets”
people, as I am one. I’ve never been a big fan, but in certain things, like borscht,
I love them. With that simple soup as an inspiration, I thought the flavors
would work nicely with the rich, fatty short ribs, and they sure did.

Will this be enough to change your mind about beets? There’s
only one way to find out. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

I was going to say that one of these days we’ll actually
make a proper Peking duck recipe, but that’s probably not going to happen. That
takes multiple steps, several days, and requires a place to hang the ducks to
dry. Most modern homes don’t have a duck drying room.

However, using this relatively quick and simple technique,
we can achieve something kind of similar, which many people would say, all
things considered, is even better.Well,
maybe not “many people,” but I would say that. These were really, really good.

Regarding the Chinese five-spice seen herein; mine contained
cinnamon, anise seed, cloves, ginger, and fennel; but these ingredients can
vary. Believe it or not, despite the
name, many contain more than five spices, as things like pepper, nutmeg, orange
peel, and cardamom, are also common additions. The good news is, for something
like this, any combination of those will work.

If you’re not into lettuce cups for whatever reason, you can
also use this technique for serving whole duck legs. The only difference is,
don’t cut them up. Since this is something that can be made well ahead of time,
it works nicely for large groups. Just simply reheat, and crisp up the skin
before serving.I really hope you give
these a try soon. Enjoy!

Friday, September 18, 2015

They say Auguste Escoffier created this dish in honor of the
opera, La Belle Helen, but we chefs know the real reason. How else are you
going to use up bruised pears in such a delicious and beautiful way? Okay, so
maybe that wasn’t his motivation, but as you’ll see in the video, it sure does
work great.

The recipe is very straightforward, so instead we’ll go into
your options for the chocolate sauce, as well as what to do with all that extra
simple syrup. We have two chocolate preparations that will work for this (and
have been linked). The first would be our easy hot fudge recipe; and the
second, and more traditional choice, would be the classic chocolate ganache.

If you follow the link to the later, you’ll be taken to our
Boston Cream Pie video, where you’ll see the technique for creating a classic
ganache, but you’ll probably need to adjust the ratio of cream to chocolate.
Generally it’s equal parts chocolate and cream, but if you want something more
pourable, then 2 parts cream to 1 part chocolate (by weight) would work better.

As far as the extra vanilla poaching liquid goes; you’ll
want to strain it, pour it into some cool looking bottles, and give it away as edible
gifts. The taste is incredible. Better than the pears, if we’re being honest,
and would make a fantastic holiday treat for the wannabe mixologists in your
life. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

There’s a show called “Check, Please! Bay Area,” which
features three locals who try each other’s favorite restaurants, and then
compare notes with host, Leslie Sbrocco. We get lots of great ideas
for places to try, and every once in a while I hear about a dish that I really
want to make, and this peanut curry chicken is the latest example. The restaurant was called Old Skool Café, and the dish was “Abu’s West African Peanut Butter Stew.”

I was working while
it was on, and not paying full attention, but I remember thinking that it
sounded like something I’d like to try soon. That was a year ago.

Last week, Michele and I ended up going
there, and I finally had my chance to order the stew, and reverse engineer the
recipe for a video. Except, I didn’t order it. I have this mental defect where have
to I order fried chicken every time it’s on a menu. Michele was no help, since
she has the same affliction with shrimp and grits.

Anyway, someone ordered it at the table
next to us, and I overheard them discussing it, which provided plenty of
inspiration for this version. I decided to not follow any specific recipe, but
instead do a simple composite of every peanut curry I’ve ever come across.

Unlike Abu’s stew, and many others, I
didn’t use coconut milk, as I feel that’s a little too sweet and rich for the
peanut butter. I loved how this came out, and I can’t imagine it being any
richer. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Friday, September 11, 2015

Schmear,” on the other hand, is
impossible to say without sounding cool. Try it, you’ll see. You also have to
love a recipe whose name describes what you’re supposed to do with it. You make
a schmear, and then you schmear a schmear.

Names aside, this smoked trout schmear
is incredibly easy, and very versatile. Obviously, it’s great spread on any kind
of bread or crackers, but slathered atop a freshly toasted bagel may be it’s
finest expression.

By the way, this is one of those
recipes were you almost have to ignore the exact ingredient measurements I give
below, since the ideal amount of salt, acidity, and heat are very subjective. Equal
proportions of cream cheese and smoked trout is a good starting point, but
everything else should be added “to taste.”

Smoked trout is relatively easy to find
in any of your fancier grocery stores that sell smoke salmon, and unlike its
more common cousin, I think it provides a richer, more interesting flavor, especially
in spreads like this. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Every time I use horseradish in a recipe, I get e-mails from
people asking me how they can make it at home. They mention they can get the
fresh root, but can’t find anything already prepared in the jar, which in some
cases is hard to believe – like when the email originates from New York City – but
regardless, this is still a very worthwhile thing to learn how to make.

Worthwhile, and somewhat painful, if you’re not careful.As I mention in the video, the fumes produced
by this process are very intense, and will cause burning eyes and runny noses,
if you’re not in a well-ventilated space.Having said that, using a little common sense, it’s really not that bad,
and so totally worth it.

This really is quite easy if you have a food processor, but
if you don’t, a heavy-duty blender will work, although you may have to add more
water in the first step, to get the mixture fine enough. You can also grate
this very fine on a microplane, but that would probably only be practical if
you’re making a smaller amount.

Once your horseradish has been
ground finely, the technique is very simple. I like to wait two or three minutes (this is supposed to make it hotter), before adding the salt and
vinegar. Then, I’ll simply process, adding as much water as necessary,
until I have a nice, smooth, creamy mixture.

And while this looks like something from the grocery store,
the flavor is incomparable. Intensely hot, and aromatic; this is the real deal.
So, whether you’re one of these people, who lives in a place where they don’t
have jarred horseradish, like apparently New York City, or you always wanted to
try and make some yourself, I really hope you give it a try soon.Enjoy!

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Due to the Labor Day holiday, today's regularly scheduled video will air tomorrow instead. We'll be showing you how to make your very own prepared horseradish, using the fresh root. Spoiler alert: It's hot. Very hot.

Friday, September 4, 2015

This incredibly easy to make Alabama white barbecue sauce
was invented in 1925 by Robert “Big Bob” Gibson at Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q
restaurant, in Decatur. When I first read this bit of culinary history, I
had to smile, since I actually know the guy. Well, sort of.

I’ve been to two bbq “boot camps,” run by champion pitmaster Chris Lilly, who trained under a guy, who trained under Big Bob Gibson.
Hey, that’s only three degrees of separation. Ironically, Chris never made, or
used the white sauce on anything we cooked, but still, I know a guy, who knew a
guy, who knew THE guy.

Some people find this concoction quite strange, but not me.
It’s eerily similar to the Cornell chicken marinade, which I love. In fact, Mr.
Robert C. Baker, the creator of the aforementioned recipe, may have borrowed
the idea from Big Bob. I would investigate further, but I have real crimes to
solve.

Don’t let this mixture’s appearance stop you from trying
what is a devastatingly delicious marinade, baste, and sauce. One tip for basting
on the grill: make sure you do it towards the end of cooking, and not over
too-high heat. You don’t want flame-ups, as that will cause an off taste.

I brush on two or three applications to each side, over more
indirect heat, and as you see in the video, it sears on nicely. As a table
sauce, it’s great on any of the traditional barbecued meats, but since it’s
really just a salad dressing, it’s also wonderful for making potato salad,
coleslaw, and grilled vegetables. I hope you give this white barbecue sauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

As I mentioned in the intro, this chili verde was one of the
first recipes I ever learned, and also one of the first times I was forced to
question proper culinary technique. Having just learned the importance of
browning meats in culinary school, I was, at the same time,
working for a chef who rarely did.

Whether it was pork, chicken, or beef, he simply cut up the
meat, threw it in a pot with the rest of the ingredients, and simmered everything until tender. By the way, he claimed that he had learned how to cook these recipes while traveling through Mexico. I remember sheepishly asking about this, and his response was
something like, “Well, that's how they did it, and it tastes good to me.” He was right, it did.

In fact, it tasted great. It was then I realized that this
whole cooking thing might be a little more complicated than I had imagined. So, which
is really the best method? There’s no answer for that question, which is frustrating. Having said that, I do think browned meat is always
going to add extra flavor, so I usually do it. The point is, everybody’s right.

Regarding the pickled red onions I used on top of my chili: I
was going to save this for a video, but it’s so ultra simple that I’ll just
tell you right now. Slice some red onions, add a pinch of salt, and cover with
red wine vinegar. Leave this overnight in your fridge, and the next day you’ll
be looking at one of the most gorgeous garnishes ever.

They’re wonderful with everything from salads, to
charcuterie, to cheeseburgers; but my real hope is that you enjoy them on a
bowl of this delicious green pork chili. I really hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!